Two long straights, a bunch of tight corners and two DRS zones inevitably added up to some very tense racing around the new Las Vegas street circuit. All signs during practice and qualifying were that it would be a close fight between Red Bull and Ferrari - and so it proved. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the first phase of the race looked to be heading for victory - but then Ferrari kept Charles out on five-lap-old hard Pirellis when the two Red Bulls stopped under Safety Car conditions for new tyres. Charles gained track position - regained the lead - but the downside to that was worsening tyre degradation. Leclerc eventually finished a gallant P2 after a battle with Red Bull's Sergio Perez. For his part, Verstappen was obliged to overcome a five-second penalty for a first-lap skirmish with Leclerc and front wing damage after contact with Mercedes' George Russell. He went on to score a superb victory - the 53rd of his career and one that tied the record of Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull's 19th win of the year also enabled them to break a record set by Mercedes in 2016. Russell finished fourth on the road but, with a penalty due to the Max incident, was eventually classified P8 behind his team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll finished fourth and fifth - and sixth was Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who would have started on the front row but for a penalty, effectively, for hitting a loose manhole cover in FP1. Fernando Alonso finished P9 after an erratic race in the other Aston and Oscar Piastri drove well to score the final point - and to take fastest lap - for McLaren-Mercedes. His team-mate, Lando Norris, was meanwhile lucky to survive a high-speed accident on the opening lap after his car bottomed-out on a full load of fuel with the tyres still below optimum operating temperature. Peter Windsor in this video reviews the key elements of the race. Alternative race stats courtesy of Aleš Norskŷ: www.GPfactsandnumbers.com With thanks to Jetcraft, the world's largest buyer and seller of executive jets: https://jetcraft.com And to pitbox.io. Say goodbye to pitlane guesswork and hello to a new era of precision and efficiency. Pitbox.io provides the tools you need to optimize your performance and maximize your chances of victory: https://pitbox.io Alpinestars: https://alpinestars.com Images: Pirelli, Red Bull, Alfa Romeo, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren, AMG Mercedes and Alpine Music: "What floor?" - Idokay - Slowed and Reverbed Follow Peter on X: @peterdwindsor We support the Race Against Dementia: https://raceagainstdementia.com #standwithukraine Nick: you're always with us